Nikola Gnjatović (born 15 September 1979) is a Serbian former professional tennis player.[1]

Nikola Gnjatović
Country (sports) Yugoslavia
Born (1979-09-15) 15 September 1979 (age 45)
Vračar, Serbia, Yugoslavia
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record0–2 (Davis Cup)
Highest rankingNo. 759 (3 May 1999)
Doubles
Career record0–1 (Davis Cup)
Highest rankingNo. 424 (17 May 1999)

Gnjatović was born in Vračar, Belgrade and started out at the Košutnjak tennis club. When he was 16 he won Yugoslavia's national under 18s championship in both singles and doubles.[2] Srđan Đoković, father of Novak, once said that he had never seen a more talented player.[3] In 1999, he represented the Yugoslavia Davis Cup team for a tie against Morocco in Casablanca. His career however soon unravelled after he began taking heroin. He became addicted to the drug and over a 17 year period was hospitalised on numerous occasions, but is now clean.[4]

ITF Futures finals

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Doubles: 4 (3–1)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 May 1998 Yugoslavia F1, Belgrade Clay   Mirko Jovanović   Martin Hromec
  Adolf Musil
1–6, 2–6
Win 1–1 May 1998 Yugoslavia F2, Belgrade Clay   Dejan Petrović   Massimo Boscatto
  Igor Gaudi
6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Win 2–1 Aug 1998 Yugoslavia F6, Niš Clay   Jose-Maria Arnedo   Martin Hromec
  Dejan Petrović
6–4, 7–6
Win 3–1 Aug 1998 Yugoslavia F7, Nikšić Clay   Dejan Petrović   Jose-Maria Arnedo
  Michael Kogan
6–4, 5–7, 6–2

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Enemu največjih teniških talentov je kariero uničila droga". Siol (in Slovenian). 1 June 2020.
  2. ^ ""DA ME HEROIN NIJE UNIŠTIO BIO BIH DRUGI NOVAK" Surova životna priča najveće srpske teniske nade! Pobedio Federera, a čak je i Srđan Đoković priznao da je najtalentovaniji". Blic (in Serbian). 14 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Bivši srpski tenisač: Bio bih poput Đokovića da me heroin nije uništio". Index.hr (in Croatian). 14 September 2021.
  4. ^ "BIO JE VEĆI TALENAT OD ĐOKOVIĆA: Srpskom teniseru HEROIN rasturio život! ŠOKANTNA ispovest bivšeg REPREZENTATIVCA! (FOTO, VIDEO)". Republika.rs (in Serbian). 26 January 2022.
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